MBTA Green Line Light Rail Extension

A Fluor-led joint venture was selected by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) as the design-build team for the Green Line Light Rail Extension in Boston, Massachusetts.

The 4.7-mile extension will improve mobility for Boston-area residents. The extension is scheduled to begin service in late 2021.

Client's Challenge

The project comprises seven new stations, including the relocated Lechmere Station, a vehicle storage and maintenance facility and two distinct branches: a mainline branch operating within the existing right-of-way for the MBTA Lowell Line beginning at Lechmere Station in Cambridge and traveling north to Medford, and a branch line operating within the existing right-of-way for the MBTA Fitchburg Line to Union Square in Somerville.

The light rail service to this corridor will address longstanding area transportation concerns, resulting in fewer automobiles on local roads and reduced greenhouse gas emissions and other components of air pollution.

The Green Line Extension (GLX) will also support municipal plans for sustainable growth and urban redevelopment, providing residents with greater transportation access to jobs and other destinations.

Fluor's Solution

GLX Constructors, the Fluor-led joint venture, will oversee the design and construction of the Green Line Extension. The GLX Constructors team brings significant design-build and transit experience, as well as successful completion of prior work for the MBTA.

The team has developed several technical concepts to improve cost and schedule certainty while maintaining quality, designed to result in increased service life, reduced maintenance and improved accessibility and public safety. The team will also integrate local vendors, subcontractors and service providers, as well as engage disadvantaged and minority-owned business enterprises.

Conclusion

The GLX project is slated to begin construction in 2018 and open for service in late 2021. The projected daily ridership at the seven stations is estimated to be 45,000 by 2030.